Happy 4th!

This morning...

 Me: "Today is a special day. It is our country's birthday."

Addison: "Today my birthday?"

Me: "No, not your birthday. America's birthday. We live in America, and it is the birthday of our country... where we live."

Addison: "Who 'Merica?"

Me: "Not a person. It is a place. We live here. In America."

Addison: "In our house?"

Me: "Forget it. It is a day where you wear red, white, and blue, ride your bike, and get a popsicle. Does that sound good?"

Addison: "I like popsicles."

So, with that, we donned our red, white, and blue,

 

rode bikes in the neighborhood bike parade,

 

and ate popsicles at the pool.

 

Despite my lack of photographic evidence, Elise and Nina rode in the parade too. They took off at the front of the pack though before I could even snap a quick pic. I walked with Addie and the other stragglers at the back; therefore, all of my parade pictures are of the little one.

 

Elise climbed trees,

 

and then we came home where I spent the afternoon making red, white, and blue desserts. One might say I got a little obsessed. Maybe. Just a little.

 

It just sounded so fun. What other time of year can you get away with making desserts with bright blue food coloring?

 

So maybe I made enough dessert for about 40 people even though there were only nine at our cook-out. That's why there is the phrase, "The more, the merrier", right?

 

And maybe I got so carried away with taking pictures of the desserts that I completely forgot to take any pictures of the children and their grandparents.

   

That's OK, right? The grandparents will forgive me. I fed them red, white, and blue desserts for Heaven's sake! Surely, the desserts offset any bitterness about not having pictures of family.

 

Now, before anyone thinks I'm actually the creative genius behind these recipes, I assure you I am not. I want to give credit where credit is due. I got the recipe for the Firecracker Bundt Cake from Cooking With Sugar. The Revolutionary Berries were posted on Family Fun, and the trifles were sort of a combination of several different recipes and didn't come out at all as I had envisioned. They certainly didn't measure up in my goal of "When making red, white, and blue desserts, how they look is more important than how they taste."

Despite the poorly concocted trifles, it was a fun day. We spent time with friends and family and ate too much. That, my friends, is the definition of a successful holiday. We bailed on fireworks in lieu of getting our kids to bed on time. In fact, I'm pretty sure our kids have never seen 4th of July fireworks for that very reason. Poor deprived children... they'll be in therapy one day over that, I'm sure.

Happy 4th! I hope you spent it with friends and family and ate plenty of blue food coloring!

 

 

 

Comments

[kerry]

Those treats look yummy!!! And I thought my red jello, cool whip, and blueberry parfaits were fancy. Ha!

[Carey]

You have GOT to take those children to see fireworks. I want you to put it on your must do list for 2012. You could even do it tonight since they got rained out last night. You can make them take a nap before going and get in bed early the next night. You don't want that therapy bill. Children should not be 7 & 9 years old and never have seen fireworks!

[Melissa - bargainshoppermom]

Love those strawberries!! I wnat to come to your next party.

[Tracym]

I love that your kids haven't seen fireworks. I finally let me 8 yo go this year. It was painful for me. lol

Also - you are the queen of holiday deserts.